When Martin Kronenberg introduced himself, I can’t help but notice his lack of Italian accent and the absence of all the “la” and “le” in his conversation. Wow, that’s quite unusual! Only after a short introduction by the man himself on the history of Brancaia, it helped to solve the mystery of his background.
It was in 1981, where a Swiss couple fell in love with the then abandoned Brancaia wine estate (Castellina in Chianti) and decided to own it. Two years later, Brancaia made the first rank in an important Chianti Classico tasting and then found its fame internationally. Martin and his wife, Barbara Widmer are the 2nd generation who runs the winery now. And she was actually studying architecture then and a visit to her family's vineyard in Tuscany changed her mind! While Barbara is in charge of the wine-making, Martin travels around the world and manage the distribution of the wines.
It was in 1981, where a Swiss couple fell in love with the then abandoned Brancaia wine estate (Castellina in Chianti) and decided to own it. Two years later, Brancaia made the first rank in an important Chianti Classico tasting and then found its fame internationally. Martin and his wife, Barbara Widmer are the 2nd generation who runs the winery now. And she was actually studying architecture then and a visit to her family's vineyard in Tuscany changed her mind! While Barbara is in charge of the wine-making, Martin travels around the world and manage the distribution of the wines.
BRANCAIA comprises of the three estates Brancaia (Castellina in Chianti), Poppi (Radda in Chianti) and Brancaia in Maremma (Grosseto). Their 170-acre Brancaia estate in Maremma, the long and beautiful coastal region of Tuscany which some believe may one day deliver wines that rival Chianti Classicos or even Brunellos di Montalcino.
This is the 1st “Brancaia Il Blu Super Tuscan” 7 vintages vertical wine tasting organized by Straits Wine Company held at Favola in Le Meridien KL with the presence of Martin, the CEO of the winery. I was invited to have a taste of these wines on Sunday which was the same day after my Adidas KOTR run. It was quite challenging for me to try to stay awake and quaff some wine at the same time. However, I did and I'm proud of myself!
Tuscany (Toscana) is to Italian like Bordeaux is to French. It's a region which gave some of the world's most important reds. Some say it's the land of Brunello and also the award-wining Super Tuscans. Equally, it's also a region with many other interesting wines.
Tre 2009
Blend: 80% Sangiovese and 20% Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 13.5%
When we arrived, we were poured a tasting portion of Tre 2009. It's the bottle with a yellow label. Martin calls this a "Baby Super Tuscan" because this wine is easy drinking, easily accessible and great as an aperitivo. This wine here goes well with the salad or pasta dishes due to its light body.
Chianti Classico Riserva 2009
| Blend: | 80% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot |
| Alcohol: | 14% |
Next, we moved on to the Chianti Classico 2009 which has a very big nose. It's matured 16 months in French barriques at least 8 months in the bottle. Therefore this wine here has silky tannins, sweet oak and lots of red fruits. There's lots of power and boldness in this bottle but do allow it to breathe as I found the wine to have a better finish after 15-20 minutes.
Ilatraia 2009
| Blend: | 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Petit Verdot, 20% Cabernet Franc |
| Alcohol: | 14.5% |
Before I knew it, Martin has already poured the previous wine into a silver wine bucket and moved on to pouring us a glass of Ilatraia 2009. As explained by him, this wine has fruits from Maremma and the wine is indeed full bodied, soft and silky with hints of vanilla and blueberry notes. This is one wine that showcases the ability of of lady winemaker because the wine was very elegant (just like a lady) and according to Martin, it can be aged for another 20 years!
Some cold & hot antipasti for the night
There's just so many to try! Even with just a tasting portion from each bottle, all the wines that were showcased that night could easily make you crawl out of the private dining room of Favola. They don't call me an alcoholic for no reason. I paced myself and in between, I made sure I had some food as opposed to drinking on an empty stomach which could easily make you go tipsy turvy.
Il Blu 1994, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2008
Il Blu (Magnum) 1997, 2000, 2003, 2008
The Il Blu is Brancaia's top wines. These are Brancaia's flagship Super Tuscan that have depths of elegance, complexity and intensity and through out the vertical tasting of 7 different vintages, I've managed to pluck out my favourite years. It is a blend of 50% Sangiovese, 45% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines are aged 20 months in French barriques and then matures 12 months in the bottle, prior to release
Il Blu 1997
This is the key vintage to Brancaia's wines because it was a great year for Super Tuscan wines, which put Tuscany on the world wine map. This wines has a balanced tannins and acidity. It's truly a bold wine but at the same time it's still elegant and has sweet notes coming from the Sangiovese.
Il Blu 2002
The year 2002 is a poor vintage for Tuscany with rains in August and September. Although it's a difficult harvest year, Martin believes a good winery should be able to make consistent quality of wines even if its not a good year. True to his word, the 2002 vintage did not disappoint. This wine here has a young and wild side to it with black cherries, dark fruits and a good structure. There's lively tannins and smoky flavours which makes it perfect for more strong flavoured meat or gamey dishes. A 92 points from Wine Spectator.
Il Blu 2004
I like this vintage due to its flowery undertones apart from the black fruit notes. It has velvety tannins and a very balanced palate. Full body and long finish.This is a classic vintage for Tuscany.
Il Blu 2004
I like this vintage due to its flowery undertones apart from the black fruit notes. It has velvety tannins and a very balanced palate. Full body and long finish.This is a classic vintage for Tuscany.
I enjoyed the night because it opened up my knowledge towards wines from Tuscany and the wonderful wine region of the Maremma coast in Italy. A good wine need not be too expensive and true to the word, Brancaia's wines are affordable.
Tips:
Q: How to spot a bottle of Super Tuscan?
A: Have a peek at the back label of any Italian wine bottles and there should be a print of these 3 letters - IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) Q: What is room temperature for wines?
A: According to Martin, most of the time we have the wrong room temperatures. Red wines should be chilled to at least 15°C before drinking..
* for enquiries and orders, please contact Mars at +6016-2282151.
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